NZ9801/01 Coastal views from Ravenscar

Start at the National Trust information centre. Follow the path that leads downhill pass the centre. The track of the railway runs through a cutting to your immediate left. After a short distance the path forks - we want the left hand fork, which joins the old railway. Soon after the fork, you should pass under a bridge across the railway. Follow the railway for the next three miles as it curves around the hillside above Robin Hood's Bay.

We continue along the old railway track for just over three miles. This section of the walk starts with sweeping views out to sea, before passing through a series of small woods. The only time we leave the track of the old railway is close to the end of this section, where a missing bridge forces us to drop down to cross a road, before climbing back onto the railway. Just under half a mile after that, we reach our turn off. A flight of steps leads up the left hand bank of a cutting, onto a path that crosses the railway on a bridge. Turn left onto this track, and cross the next field.

At the end of the field path, turn right onto the road. This road drops down into the valley of Ramsdale Beck, before climbing back up towards Flying Hall, now a school. At the school the road winds its way way between the school buildings.

Just past the main school buildings double back along a track that climbs up the hill to your left. At the top of the slope ignore the private road to the right, and continue on along the track that now overlooks the valley of Ramsdale Beck. For most of this section you will have trees to your left in the valley, and open fields to your right. At the end of this section the track runs entirely between trees and descends into the valley.

At the bottom of the valley turn left to cross the beck on a bridge, then turn right to climb back up out of the valley. This time you will have trees to your right and open fields to your left. The last part of this section runs through trees.

At the end of the trees, our track forms a T-junction with a track heading west to east. Turn left onto this track, follow it into the next field and follow it to the far end of the field.

At the end of the field turn right onto another track, but when the track turns sharply to the left, leave it and instead head directly south along the edge of the field at the corner. This path descends steeply into another small valley.

After crossing a small beck, the path climbs gently up towards Kettle Well Cottage. The footpath joins the road to the left of the cottage. Once on the road, turn left and head down the hill.

After a third of a mile, turn right onto a farm track (clearly signposted). This track drops down into another wooded valley (and can be quite slippy here), then climbs up to Spring Hill Farm. Continue straight ahead through the farm, ignoring a path that heads up the hill to the left.

Soon after leaving Spring Hill farm, the track drops into another valley, and crosses another stream. At this point the OS map is slightly out of date, and shows a track heading south east and a path heading south west. However, the path to the south west has now been turned into a concrete farm track. Our route turns left onto the track heading south west, crossing over a small stream. This path climbs up to the left of a small wood, before reaching Cook House farm.

Just beyond this farm we reach the edge of the heather. In front of us is Stony Marl Moor. Ignore the path that runs along the edge of the open moor, and instead that the path at roughly 45 degrees to the left that climbs up onto the moor. This soon becomes a major footpath, heading east towards Ravenscar. For most of the route the radio aerials above Ravenscar can act as a landmark,

After nearly two miles on the open moor, we reach a road. From here you have two routes back to Ravenscar. The simplest is to turn right onto this road. After half a mile you will reach the main road into Ravenscar. Turn left here.

The best route crosses the road, and takes a path through the bracken just to the left of a small enclosure. Follow this path until you reach a footpath that leaves to the right. This path cuts across a field with great views towards Ravenscar. At the base of the field cross over onto a small road. Turn right and follow this road to the end. At the end turn left back into Ravenscar.